


Breathe Gotham

by purplefox



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 09:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22293610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: The years change and Dick still loves Gotham and Bruce
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 3
Kudos: 75





	Breathe Gotham

No matter how many years passed. It felt as though Gotham would never change. It felt as though Dick would always be the kid looking out at the night for the first time with Batman by his side. Except that things were different now and Gotham had changed at least a little bit.

There had been new Robins. He had changed and Bruce had changed ever so slightly. Gotham had changed but it was still the city that Dick loved to fling himself out into. He was still in love with the city. Maybe he had fallen in love the first night that he had come out here by Bruce’s side.

Maybe he had but what he did know was that even after all this time. He was still in love with Gotham’s night and he was still fascinated by Bruce. It felt as though that would never go away. He was not exactly in a hurry to make that go away either.

Bruce used to fascinate him and he still did. Dick kept his smile to himself as he waited on the rooftop. He could hear the others around him and he could feel Bruce nearby.

“What exactly are we waiting for again?” Tim muttered as he wandered closer to the edge. “I’m heading out.”

“Hot date nerd boy?” Jason teased as he stepped up next to Tim. “Or are you that worried about that tower of yours?” Cassandra said nothing but the way she stepped up to Jason made him ease back. “Anything you want to add?” Jason questioned. “For once.”

“I’m praying the Tower can hold itself together.” Tim joked. “Man this must how B feels having to leave the League. I’m heading out. BlackBat?”

“I’m coming too I wanna check out something in that direction.” Jason paused to eye him. “So you sticking with kid and B-“ He ignored Damian’s hiss. “Or you out on your own tonight?”

“Well.” Dick grinned as he listened to everyone else going their own way. “A bit of both tonight? Everyone seems to have their different patterns but I think I’ll stick with Robin tonight.”

“Huh Robin.” Jason snorted before he watched Tim and Cassandra take off. “Right. Okay eldest.” He mocked and then he was gone. Dick grinned as he watched Jason leap after Tim and Cassandra. His form was bigger than them both and when he swung, he easily overtook them. Not for long though.

It was nice to see Jason out there. Although he wasn’t usually with them. When he was with them it looked good. Although this new team up was something to take note of.

Speaking of looking good; Dick looked over his shoulder in time to watch Robin adjust his hood. The new suit looked good. The new suits looked good, Bruce’s and Damian’s. He had known that Bruce was working on a new suit and Dick had ‘helped’ with Robin’s.

Helped as in he gave advice and stopped Damian from electrocuting himself or ending up in a predicament. He knew Bruce, Bruce liked to let you make your own mistakes when you wouldn’t listen. Batman had helped many Robins from costume failures with pointed silence. No need for another Robin to suffer.

“Are you coming?” Batman asked and Dick stretched. He gave Bruce a grin before he tapped Robin on the shoulder as he ran past. He let his grapple hook be the answer as he swung out towards the warehouses Bruce wanted to check out tonight.

He felt warm when Robin swung out next to him and then went past him. When Robin landed first and too out Dick laughed before he followed suit. There was just a moment of disturbance before Batman appeared at his side. A moment of shared warmth before Batman vanished from the eyes. Dick loved nights like these.

XxX

Timing was everything and while Dick would deny it to anyone who asked; the rush was beautiful. Timing things just right so anyone watching would feel their stomach dip. Knowing he had it but others thought he didn’t and he swung up to prove them wrong over and over again.

That never got old. He was a showman and he had always been. That was Robin. That was who Robin was and who he had started out as. The timing of his jumps and leaps that was engrained into his bones and it couldn’t change.

When he got his flips right, when he leaped right and caught himself it felt good. The jump and the save was the rush not just the jump. The perfect save was the rush and it always would be.

He knew that watching made others uneasy. They didn’t get it the way that he did. Trusting oneself to that extent didn’t come easy but Dick believed in himself he believed in his skills so that was why he could jump. He truly believed in himself and Bruce too. That was why he could jump on faith and why he could allow his body to slacken and fall.

Bruce would always protect him, Bruce would always save him and that was why Dick could do the things that he did. He allowed his body to bend even as the ground rushed up at him. It was fine and he knew that.

A hand to grasp the pipe sticking out and he vaulted himself up high enough so that he could land on the bike perfectly. It was a hard slam down but his suit covered most of that. Dick took over the autopilot and biked back around to where he knew Robin was.

“Nightwing.” Batman’s voice came through the bike and he smiled. “Meet back up with Robin.”

“Already on it Boss.” Dick laughed as he changed gears. Part of it was funny. No checking in to see if he had landed correctly or not. At the same time it was kind of humbling in it’s own way because he knew that Bruce trusted his skills too. Trusted that Dick would trust him right back no matter what. “Damn.” Dick hissed as he banked around a corner. “I love nights like these.”

X

“Not even a goodnight?” Dick teased as he sat on the counter. Damian had changed and run off without so much as a farewell. “Did he hate running with us so much?” He teased Bruce who was still in costume. “Or is it that he’s up to something.” He murmured as he stared at the stairs. “We were with him the whole time. He couldn’t have found anything… to do on his own.”

“You would be surprised what trouble Robin could find.” Maybe others would find such a gruff response hurtful or distance but Dick laughed as he put up his feet.

“Well as the original.” Dick teased. “I know the best sorts of trouble can be found right at home… right Bruce?” He watched as Bruce began the long task of inputting everything they had missed so far on the night out. He noted the various reports being inputted from their various allies.

Just looking at things like that made his heart warm because back before it hadn’t been like this. The cave had not been like this. They had been all alone. It had been just them and now they had others now they had help.

“Feels nice huh.” He whispered when he watched Tim’s and Cassandra’s reports pop up. “Reminds me of old times.”

“Old times weren’t this efficient.” Dick could hear the smile in Bruce’s voice. “But for what it is worth. I appreciate the times we have now.” He finished up before he looked over his shoulder to Dick. “But nostalgia calls from time to time.”

“You like me being out there.” Dick pulled up his feet as Bruce got up. he rocked back and forth as he laughed. “As Nightwing or Batman.” He teased. “The times change but you need me out there B.”

Bruce slipped off his gloves so easily but when he pulled down the cowl Dick felt his heart pound. How long had he been in love with Bruce? It honestly felt like forever. Maybe he had been in love with Bruce as long as he had been in love with Gotham? Maybe the reason he loved Gotham so much was because that he loved Bruce.

“I need you out there.” Bruce caged him in but Dick only felt warmth in that action. “I need you out there by my side Dick.” The way he caught Dick’s left hand and brought it up to his lips. How long would Dick be dazzled by this man? He couldn’t help a smile as he copied Bruce and kissed his hand back. Then his wrist before he let the hand drop.

“You need me.” Dick ducked his head before he kissed the exposed part of Bruce’s throat. He pulled back enough so he could kiss Bruce softly. He pulled back when Bruce responded to the kiss. “And I need you. Every time I’m out there I’m enjoying everything. The night, the chase and the adventure.”

“The reckless falls and jumps.” Bruce muttered and Dick grinned. “The stunts and the way you live in the night we share. Dick… you love this as much as I do. You love this like we do.”

“Yeah I know.” Dick grinned. “But it’s more than that you know? All these years and I finally get to see you. Get to know the true you Bruce. I’ve waited a long time.” He wrapped his arm around Bruce with a laugh. “It’s been a while to get to learn the Dark Knight of Gotham. To understand what he sees. To walk in his footsteps.”

Taking over for Bruce had changed so much. Having his own Robin had led him to understand Bruce in ways that Dick had never thought would happen and he was thankful for it. Another way to understand Bruce. Another way to be closer to him.

“The only good one.” Bruce trapped him and the way he pressed against him made Dick slip his hand to the side of Bruce’s suit so he could begin to help him the rest of the way out of it. “Is you. The way you blend. The way you belong.” He rasped as he pressed himself against Dick. “Everything I could have imagined and more.”

“You imagined me?” Dick teased as Bruce’s fingers moved to the invisible zip for his suit. “That’s naughty Bruce.” He laughed as he was yanked up and away. He wrapped his legs around Bruce as the man walked them back to the chair. When he fell into it, he settled Dick on his lap and peeled the suit down to Dick’s torso. “Bruce.”

“Dick.” Bruce rasped as he dragged kisses up Dick’s neck. “The way we are. Sometimes I think it too when we’re out there but if we were back then we couldn’t have this.” The truth was in Bruce’s words. Dick settled himself on Bruce’s lap before he made short work of the upper suit. Bruce dragged the rest of his further down before he began to unwrap bandages and kiss exposed skin. “Things change and you’re here. Better than I could have ever imagined.”

“As close as I’ll get to an ‘I love you’ tonight.” Dick joked before he kicked the lever in the chair to send Bruce backwards. Bruce didn’t even lose composure. Dick smoothed back his hair as he straddled Bruce. What a beautiful man; one that people rarely got to see but he did. “Bruce.” Dick breathed as he leaned down. He rocked against Bruce before he kissed him. “You made me love the things we do. You made me fall and then.” Dick whispered before he kissed Bruce again. “You caught me.”

Bruce’s low hiss set fire to his blood even as Bruce’s hands settled on his waist. They knew better than to be messing around down in the cave but honestly sometimes some rules were meant to be fiddled with at least a little bit. In Dick’s case he found himself plastered against Bruce but he didn’t really care. He was where he wanted to be.


End file.
